Mississippi St. “Focusing” on Coach Steve Prohm

Published on March 20, 02:34 PM

There may be only one school without a men’s basketball coach in the OVC.

But I doubt that opening is going to get the most noise this summer.

Case in point: Just 2 days after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, CBS Sports is reporting that Mississippi State is “focusing on Murray State’s Steve Prohm” to fill their coaching vacancy after Rick Stanbursy’s “retirement.”

Right after the tournament, Prohm was asked about his future, and said he will stay in Murray. Will that change with the SEC calling?

Will that change when other schools start calling also?

Because they will.

Yes, even though Prohm has spent just one year at the helm of a college basketball team, the level of play, and amount of press he brought to the Murray State program is extraordinary, and will have a lot of AD’s looking to fill coaching openings mentioning his name.

Will he go to Mississippi State? I’d be surprised. Sure, it’s an SEC school, but it’s not exactly in the best place right now.

But going to the SEC would put Prohm in the same conference as his former boss, Billy Kennedy, whose A&M squad joins the conference next year. And Prohm has ties to the state of Alabama, having graduated as a alumnus of the Crimson Tide.

Whether he goes or stays, expect to see headlines about schools “targeting” Prohm all summer long.

And if he does stay, every summer afterwards until he finally does leave Murray.

Because no matter how much he loves it there, Murray has never really been the final coaching spot for any coach. And I doubt that will change in the near future.

Get used to these headlines, Racer Nation. Because I bet you’re going to see quite a few of them.